Monika
by tigerlily-parade
Summary: After a World Meeting of both male and female representations of each country, Feli finds himself drawn to Monika. When others notice the potential relationship, they begin voicing their opinions, leaving him little room to sort out his feelings for himself. Ultimately, he will have to decide what he believes is best for the two of them, and not according to what anyone else says.
1. Chapter 1

For reasons unknown to many, the nations of the world did not often meet with their opposite-gender counterparts. Each nation would communicate with their individual counterpart about their own country, but beyond that, they often stayed separate. This usually led to problems when it came to dealing with global issues, as the two sides tended to come to two different conclusions, and eventually, some sort of compromise would have to be made. Finally, they decided it would be best to gather together at one massive world meeting.

Of course, Italy Veneziano was the most excited about this idea. Some had their doubts about the plan, but he immediately voted in favor of it. And, as one might expect, it was mainly because it would give him a chance to meet women.

"I've always wanted to know what the lady versions of our friends are like," he told Ludwig, practically bouncing in his chair. The two had arrived first and now waited for the others. The German liked to be early, and while Feliciano was in Berlin and staying with him, he would have to deal with being early too. He would never let the Italian behind the wheel if he could help it.

"I know you're excited," Ludwig said, "but please, try to keep the flirting to a minimum. They may all be women but they're still here on business just as we are. You need to behave professionally."

"Yes sir!" Feliciano exclaimed, saluting him. Ludwig opened his mouth to speak once more, but stopped when he heard the click of a doorknob. They looked to the conference room door, and watched as an elegantly-dressed brunette woman walked in. The two men exchanged glances, unsure of how to handle the situation; they thought they would have been able to figure everyone out, but they had no idea who this was. Then, Feliciano did was Feliciano does best.

"Hi, I'm Italy!" he introduced himself, bounding towards her. "But you can just call me Feliciano if you'd like. That would probably be best since other me is coming too, and so is my brother Lovino and his other him, and that could get confusing real fast." He stopped, and looked her over for a moment. "Wow, you're so well-dressed! You must be France."

"Francine is fine," she said with a smile. Then she looked past him and said, "And I'd recognize you anywhere. You look so much like her someone could almost have trouble telling the two of you apart. What do you prefer to be called, darling?~"

"Well, usually I just go by Germany but since there will be two of us here today, Ludwig is fine." _Damn, how did he figure her out so quickly? I guess not everyone is going to look exactly like you might expect._

Next they heard two feminine voices out in the hallway, one rather loud and one much softer. They seemed to be arguing, too. Soon, a girl with short, dirty-blonde hair barged in, not bothering to acknowledge the others already in the room. She was followed by a quieter, very similar-looking girl sporting glasses and pigtails.

"Look Meg," the first girl insisted, "just admit I'm right already."

_Okay, so they're America and Canada… maybe this won't be so hard. And… uh-oh, _Ludwig thought, glancing out the window. Double trouble. His brother was just arriving with none other than Julchen, his female version. Having her around was like having a second Gilbert around. He could see the smirks on their faces from where he was standing; no doubt he was in for a rough time. Now, dealing with the two of them and two of Feliciano at the same time? What a nightmare. If only he could get Feli to leave just long enough to get his brother and the Prussian's other half settled down.

"Hey, Feliciano?" he asked, moving towards the redhead who was now caught up in a conversation with the girl called Meg.

"Hmm?" the redhead replied.

"I was just thinking. It's going to be a long meeting, so I was going to suggest you step outside while you still have the chance."

"S-sure," he said, sensing something was up. "Are you okay?"

"Gilbert and Julchen are here."

"Ah." He needed no further explanation. Even he knew those two could be a handful, and that all Ludwig needed was for him to stay out of the way for a few minutes.

"Ja. I just need a little space to get them calmed down, that's all."

"Sure thing," the Italian said with a grin, and snuck out of the room without another word.

The air did seem much cooler out in the hallway, so maybe it was a good idea to get out of there anyway. He wasn't really looking forward to being stuck in that stuffy conference room all afternoon now that he thought about it, but hey, at least there were going to be plenty of pretty ladies to look at!

He decided it would be a good idea to take Ludwig's suggestion and go outside while he waited for the other nations to arrive. He passed someone on his way out the door, and though he barely paid them any attention at first, he froze and did a double-take a few seconds later, realizing who he was seeing.

Standing before him was a tall, strong-looking woman with short blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. A rosy pink dusted her cheeks when she saw him, but she began to approach him slowly, almost as if she were being cautious. _I see now what Francine meant, _he thought. He blushed as well.

"You must be Italy," the woman said.

"_Si!_ And… you're Germany?" She nodded.

"Monika." She slowly extended her hand in front of her.

"Feliciano!" The Italian shook it with enthusiasm.

"Ludwig?" the German woman called, entering the conference room a few minutes later.

"Hello, Monika," her counterpart greeted her, reaching out to shake her hand. Behind him came a bouncy, curly-haired young woman with shining amber eyes.

"Hi Germany!" the woman squealed, running up to her female companion for a hug.

"Personal space, Daisy, personal space," the German woman said, politely removing the Italian from her body.

"Right, sorry," she said, backing off. Then she spotted her male version walking up behind Monika.

"Feliciano!" she cried.

"Daisy!" he exclaimed in response. The two hurried towards each other and came together in a massive embrace. They kissed each other on the cheek and began speaking rapid Italian, much to the confusion of the other nations.

"I guess it's been a while for them," Ludwig observed.

"It has," Monika replied. "Daisy's been talking about wanting to see him again."

"Well, it looks like most people are here, shall we begin?"

"I don't see why not," the female German said. Then she raised her voice to address all nations in the room, and moved to take her place at the head of the table. "Alright everyone, we have no time to waste, so let's get started. You will speak one at a time, and raise your hand if you wish to do so. Debating is fine, but pointless bickering will not be tolerated."

"Wow," Feliciano mumbled. "She's so like him."

The Italian male could not stop thinking about the German he met that day, even on the ride back to Ludwig's house after the meeting. Sure, he had met plenty of women that afternoon, but something about her just amazed him. Of everyone, the two Germanys were definitely the most alike.

"She's beautiful, Germany," he said, sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Mmm…. I guess," the blonde replied. He looked straight ahead, keeping his focus on the road.

"You don't think so?"

"Well you see, for me, looking at Monika is like looking in a mirror; judging her appearance as anything good or bad is something I've never done, because it would be like judging my own appearance, which is weird."

"Hm, I see," Feliciano said. "Well, I think she's beautiful."

"Just her? No one else?"

"Oh, they were all pretty, but I like her the best. She's just like you, only a girl, which is… nice."

Ludwig remained silent. He could see why Feliciano had liked Monika, but he seemed to be focusing a lot of attention on her.

"You wouldn't happen to have her number, would you?"

"…what?"

"Yeah! I think I want to get to know her a little better. Daisy seems to really love her and now I see why. And how awesome would it be to have two of you around? You know, I think I'll just text Daisy now, I bet she has it. I know she's not driving 'cause Monika never lets her just like you don't with me; isn't that funny?"

Ludwig shook his head, wondering what he had just gotten into. Or rather, what his female self was about to get into.


	2. Chapter 2

The first world meeting involving both male and female personifications of several countries proved to be rather successful, to the pleasant surprise of many. In addition, the nations learned a bit about their colleagues' opposite-gender counterparts, including the striking similarities between some of the pairs. Germany and Northern Italy were no exception. Much like Ludwig, Monika brought a straightforward, no-nonsense attitude to the meeting. Daisy, just as her male counterpart was often known to do, spent much of the meeting doodling on her papers and trying to flirt with other nations.

Also, just as Ludwig would do with Feliciano, Monika allowed Daisy to stay with her whenever a world meeting was hosted in Germany. In fact, she strongly suggested it. She never liked the idea of Daisy driving, especially by herself. But with Daisy staying at her home, she could be the one to drive the Italian places if need be. Plus, while she didn't always like to admit it, she did enjoy Daisy's company.

Typically, their car rides were filled with conversation. Daisy, being the chatterbox she was, always had plenty to talk about; except, oddly, on the trip back from the first meeting between the male and female nations. Monika wondered if everything was okay.

In a brief moment when she could afford to take her eyes off the road, she stole a quick glance at Daisy. The Italian seemed anything but upset; in fact, an almost devilish smirk plastered her face as she stared down at the cellphone in her lap. She texted rapidly, and snickered as she hit send.

"What's that look for?" Monika inquired.

"What look?" Daisy asked innocently, snapping her head up at the sound of Monika's voice.

"I saw you grinning at your phone. You seemed rather quiet, I was concerned. But clearly you're okay."

"Oh, i-it's nothing," she tried to assure her. "Just chatting with Feli, that's all."

"That's all, huh?"

"Yep, that's all, nothing too important. Oh, except that he asked for your number. I hope you don't mind but I sort of… gave it to him. So he might text you later. Or call you. I'm not sure which."

"Wait… you what?"

"Hehe," she let out a nervous laugh, sinking back into her seat a bit. "Was… was that wrong?"

"I just wished you had asked my permission to give it to him first, Italy."

"Ve… I'm sorry."

"Now I might have two of you to deal with, and who would want that?" she remarked. Though she kept her eyes on the road, Daisy detected a bit of mischief in her expression and took no offense to the comment. She liked that about Monika; even though she was serious most of the time, she knew how to make a joke now and then.

Meanwhile, across town, their male counterparts pulled into Ludwig's driveway.

To Ludwig it appeared that Feliciano was engaged in a very serious conversation. Since the first text to Daisy, he hadn't taken his eyes off his phone. Even walking towards the front door, he stared intently downward, clutching the cell in his palms, his thumbs moving over the keys.

To Feliciano, the conversation only felt somewhat serious, and it was probably more serious to him than it was Daisy. It had taken on a playful tone rather quickly. His only problem was trying to get himself out of being teased for requesting Monika's number. In Italian, he wrote,

_She's very pretty but that's not why I wanted it. I just want to get to know other Germany, you know?_

And of course Daisy, with no hesitation, wrote,

_Because you think she's hot._

_No, that's not it!_ He replied._ I mean, maybe she is a little, but… wouldn't that be like dating your best friend? That's why I want to talk to her more. She's basically like my best friend, only a girl._

_Meaning the perfect girlfriend._

_I never said I wanted her to be my girlfriend! Besides, you know what my record is like with girls. No luck at all lately._

_You were the one who brought up dating her, not me._

_Only to point out I wouldn't._

_That's a lie._

Feliciano hesitated for a few minutes. She was right, but he hated to admit to that. Sure Monika was pretty, beautiful even (as he had mentioned to Ludwig) but as far as pursuing a relationship with her, well, that wasn't really his intention. But still…

_You know me too well, _he finally said.

_I'm basically you, what can you expect? _Then, without waiting for a reply, she added,

_ So, should I ask her out for you?_

_No! I can handle that. When the time comes, which won't be for a while. If at all._

_We'll see about that. In any case, I wish you luck. I have to go now, she's dragging me along to pick up groceries on the way back. Hasta la pasta!~_

Feliciano sighed heavily and fell into Ludwig's living room sofa, still holding the phone out in front of him. He felt defeated, and in the back of his mind he knew he probably did have a small crush on Monika. But he wasn't about to admit that yet. They had only just met that morning, and he wanted a chance to see where this would go, if anywhere at all. He searched back through their conversation to find the text containing her number. When he found it, he scribbled it down on a napkin that happened to be sitting on the end table near him, and then shoved the napkin into one pocket and his phone into the other. He wouldn't bother her now if she was busy getting groceries, he told himself. Besides, they did only just see each other less than an hour ago. He would wait until that evening, then he would text her his number. Besides, he needed the time to build up his courage a little. Normally he had no problem chatting with women, but somehow, Monika was different. The thought of speaking to her again made his insides flutter. He couldn't take too much time, though, if he wanted to see her again before returning home until the next meeting.

He had her number, but she probably didn't have his; it looked like it was his move.

**A/N: **Hey guys, just letting you know I plan to update a little more regularly than, well... every couple months. I actually have the first six (almost seven) chapters written; I just happened to upload the first chapter here a while back and then kinda forgot about it. I'm going to try to upload one chapter a day until everything I have written so far is uploaded (which will probably be up to chapter seven, considering that is 3/4 finished at the moment.)

I also want to thank the people who are following this story. It's really encouraging :)


	3. Chapter 3

A pleasant aroma filled Monika's kitchen as she prepared dinner that evening. She stirred the veggies and checked the time on her phone, which sat on the counter nearby.

"Has he texted you yet?" Daisy asked, walking into the room at just the right moment.

"No," Monika replied. "Just seeing what time it is."

"You sure you weren't checking for a message just in case?" the redhead teased. She leaned against the counter and looked up at her friend with that same devilish grin she had on the car ride back.

"I'm sure," she insisted. "You know I'm always looking at the time."

"So… you're not anxious to hear from him?"

The German continued to slowly stir the vegetables, taking time to answer the question. She didn't want to make it seem like she didn't like Feliciano, but she also didn't want Daisy to think she liked him in _that way._ She thought about it for a moment, wording her answer carefully.

"I enjoyed speaking with him earlier and I'm sure I will when he does decide to contact me, but I'm not going to just sit around waiting for the text or call. When it comes, it comes, and until then I'm going to go about my usual business."

The two fell silent for a moment, the only sound in the kitchen the gentle sizzle of the vegetables in the pan. Then Daisy said,

"You know he really likes you, right?"

Monika sighed. "Did he tell you that himself?" she asked.

"Well, not… technically," the Italian stuttered, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. "I mean, he didn't say it directly, but I can tell he does."

"That's more or less what I thought you would say. I'm not sure that exactly counts as knowing."

"Does being his other half count as knowing?"

"I don't know, Italy."

"…I'll be honest, I'd date you if you were a guy."

Monika's expression twisted into one of confusion as she tried to work through what Daisy had just said.

"Why don't you just… date Ludwig then?" she asked. That seemed like the obvious thing to do.

"Because the man never stops working long enough to even have time for a relationship. But you actually know how to relax. You should give Feli a chance."

"I also know not to rush into things. And I have no way of knowing that he does like me that way, other than you telling me. I mean no offense, but I don't want to assume anything unless I hear it from him."

"Yeah…" Daisy sulked; she felt defeated. Monika had made a lot of good points for which she had no counter argument. But even so, she saw a lot of potential for something between Monika and Feliciano and was determined to get something out of one of them. She decided to change her tactic slightly.

"What do you think of him?" she asked, genuinely curious. Monika smiled, and shut off the stove.

"I will admit he's a sweetheart," she said as she began to dish up their dinner. "But—"

Just then, her cellphone buzzed on the counter top, displaying an unknown number. Daisy rushed to grab it before Monika even had the chance to set the food on the table. She squealed with delight when she recognized the number, and handed it to the German to answer.

"It's him," she informed her. She bounced up and down, practically grinning from ear to ear. Monika shot her a quick look telling her to calm down, then answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"_Ciao, _i-it's Feliciano," came the Italian's voice from the other end. "Daisy gave me your number, I hope you don't mind. I just thought I would say hi since we didn't get much of a chance to talk after the meeting today."

"Hey Feli," she replied. "Can I call you back? Daisy and I were just about to have dinner."

"No _problema! _I'll send you my number, call or text whenever. No rush, really. I don't have any plans for tonight, so no worries about interrupting anything. I already had dinner so it's fine. I'm basically free to chat any time between now and when I go to bed, which probably won't be until late."

"Alright, I will talk to you later," she said, and hung up the phone. When she turned back to Daisy, the Italian was snickering at her.

"You like him," she teased.

"And what makes you think that?"

"You said he was sweet. AND you just called him Feli."

"Only because that's what you always call him. I didn't really think about it, it's just how it came out."

"Hmmm… I don't know, Germany. I think you like him." she said. She began playfully poking at the blonde. "You like him, you like him, you—"

"Italy, please. Let's just eat, okay?"

"Alright. But you totally like him."

Feliciano stared at his phone for several moments after ending the call. He didn't quite get it; why did he feel so awkward talking to her? Ludwig and girls were the people he had the easiest time talking to, and Monika was basically a combination of both. But for some reason, he just found himself rambling on. Hopefully she would turn out to be a good conversationalist, because, for the first time in his life, he definitely didn't feel like one. He really hoped she would like him…

Daisy's words started coming back to him. Why did it bother him when she suggested he liked Monika? It shouldn't. He was Italian, he liked every girl he met. But then…

Monika was somehow different.

She wasn't just a pretty face. Well, she was, but there was more to it. There was more to her that he wanted to get to know. So, he did have a crush on her?

_Am I… falling in love with her?_

No, that's a crazy idea, he decided. No one falls in love with someone after knowing them for only a few hours. Not before really getting to know them. Love at first sight doesn't exist.

…Right?

These questions plagued his mind all evening. Even when he crawled into bed beside Ludwig and shut out the light, he could not seem get any of it off his mind. He lay wide awake for several minutes, just thinking about her. All he needed to do was hear back from her, for even just a brief conversation, and he would settle down.

Only a short time after finally deciding she wasn't going to call back, his phone vibrated once beside his pillow. He picked it up, and opened the text.

_Hey Feliciano. Hopefully you're still awake. Sorry for not calling back earlier, I got caught up in a lot of paperwork._

He nearly burst out laughing upon reading the message; not because it was particularly funny, but because it seemed exactly like something that would happen to Ludwig. The similarities between the two were almost uncanny. He suppressed the outburst, however, to avoid waking the German now sleeping beside him, and sent a quick reply.

_That's okay! Ludwig had extra work tonight too. That's the downside to being the host country, I guess._

Although Feliciano had gotten a bit worried when Monika hadn't called back, he had a feeling work had been keeping her busy. The nation hosting the meeting always seemed to end up with extra papers to go over, and knowing how Ludwig handled these things, didn't really expect to hear from her right away. He felt happy, though, when her next response came quickly.

_It is. I actually need to get in touch with him about a few things. Perhaps you both would like to come over tomorrow?_

Feli's heart skipped a beat when he read the text. It made him feel all fuzzy inside to know that she already wanted to see him again, even though they had just met. Apparently he made a better first impression than he thought. He tried to suppress his excitement.

"Hey, Germany," he whispered, gently shaking his friend awake. "Germany, can we go visit other Germany tomorrow?"

"But… we are in Germany," he mumbled. In his half-awake state, he couldn't quite comprehend the request. Feliciano giggled.

"No, I mean Monika. She invited us over tomorrow 'cause I guess she wants to go over some stuff with you, but she invited me to come along too."

"Uh… _Ja,_ I guess I don't see why not."

"Yay! Thanks, I'll let her know," the Italian said, and sent off one last text before giving in to sleep.

_We'll be there!_

* * *

**A/N:** Ahaha, re-reading these first few chapters is so awkward because I actually wrote them around a year ago, and I think I've gotten better since then. (I started off rather slowly with this story because it actually began as a one-shot and I didn't know how to continue it at first.) I'm working on adding in more description to my writing so you'll hopefullysee some improvement over time. Just thought I'd mention that since I feel like this part isn't exactly my best work =P


	4. Chapter 4

Sometimes, when both representations of a nation are within close proximity to each other, they can sense each other's emotions, given that those emotions are strong. From joy to angst, it works much the same way as twin telepathy. Some would argue that it's even stronger.

When Ludwig approached Monika's front door with Feliciano, he could sense that she had her guard up, though he didn't quite understand why. He guessed it had something to do with social awkwardness—something he was trying to get past as well. He had to admit that he was feeling a bit uncomfortable about the situation too, not knowing what Daisy and Feliciano would be like together. His first impression of that from the day before didn't seem very promising; however, he knew how to deal with one Italy fairly well, so maybe he and Monika would manage to keep them under control.

He knocked three times, and didn't have to wait long. Within moments, they could actually hear someone bounding down the hallway, and the door opened for them soon after. Daisy stood in front of them, looking rather pleased by their arrival.

"Hi Ludwig! _Ciao, _Feli! You guys can come in and sit down; Monika will be with you in a few minutes. This way!"

Feliciano brushed past Ludwig to be the first inside, and followed close behind his counterpart with an even bigger spring in his step than usual. If any two nations bounced their emotions off each other, it was those two, Ludwig thought. He casually made his way to the kitchen, where he knew the other two had gone.

"She's upstairs right now, but she said to open the door for you guys if you came. She's only going to be a few minutes," Daisy informed the two guests.

"That's fine, we don't mind waiting," Ludwig assured her.

"That's good, but I won't make you wait anyway," they heard Monika say. They turned towards the entryway to the kitchen to see her walking in with a small stack of papers. Though outwardly calm, her male counterpart could feel her tension. She sat beside him, and placed the papers in front of him.

"Ve, What are all the papers for, anyway?" Daisy inquired.

"Just some things I would like to go over before I sign off on them and send them to our boss. There are also one or two things in here that need both of our signatures, Ludwig…"

"Of course, of course; why don't we start there?" he suggested. He turned to the Italian pair. "And, you know, Italy—both of you—neither of you are really needed at the moment."

"We know, we just want to spend time with you guys!" Feliciano exclaimed. The two Germanys exchanged glances.

"Well, we only really need a few minutes to get this done if we can do it without interruption. Here," Monika said, reaching into her pocket and taking out a small amount of money. "Why don't you two go to that new ice cream place down the street? By the time you get back, we'll probably be done." She handed the money over to Daisy, who graciously accepted.

"That does sound like fun, doesn't it Feli?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm always in the mood for ice cream! Let's go."

"Be sure to WALK," Monika insisted. "Don't even think about getting near my car."

"Of course we won't, silly!" Daisy said, taking Feliciano by the wrist and leading him towards the front door. Monika let out a heavy sigh, which Ludwig took note of.

"_What's wrong?" _he asked in German.

"_What do you mean?"_

_"You're anxious, I can feel it; you have been since we got here. Are you okay?"_

_"Ja, ja… just rather stressed about having both of them here at once. They're a handful, for sure." _She paused for a moment, and then added, "_That and Daisy seems to be under the impression I have some sort of crush on Feliciano and that we're meant for each other or something like that. It's… it's stupid, really. But I worry that she's going to say something in front of him and then I'll have to explain, but I wouldn't want it to come out wrong, you know what I mean? Feli seems like a nice guy, and I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings."_

_"I see," _Ludwig said, understanding now why she seemed to feel so awkward. But even so, he couldn't help but feel as though she wasn't telling him the whole truth; or rather, she wouldn't admit the whole truth to herself. He didn't want to push the issue, but he did want to help make her feel more comfortable. Choosing his words carefully, he told her, "_If you ever want to talk about anything, Monika—about Feli, or not about Feli, it doesn't matter—I'm always willing to listen"_

_"I know you are." _She touched him lightly on the arm._ "Thanks, Ludwig."_

"Monika was really quick to get rid of us," Feliciano said. He took the first lick of soft ice cream while he and Daisy found a bench to rest on. "I'm always happy to get ice cream, but it seems kinda weird that she would invite me over and then basically kick me out of her house."

"I wouldn't take it personally," she replied. "It's just how her mind works; she can't always focus with other people around. Plus she seems really stressed and overworked lately. I think concentrating on a single thing when she gets like that helps to keep her calmer. I'm sure Ludwig must be the same way."

Feliciano chuckled at the suggestion.

"Yes, he is. I think I understand now." For some time, he sat just staring off into the distance. It really was a nice place to relax and watch the world go by for a while.

"So when do you go home?" Daisy asked. Though her main purpose was to just keep some conversation going, she was genuinely curious.

"Tomorrow. If I waited any longer it would be a lot more expensive to fly, being the weekend and all. Normally I wouldn't mind staying through until Monday but I really need to get back. I'm pretty sure Fratello is already there."

"In Venice? I thought he was living in Rome…"

"He does most of the time," Feliciano explained, "but he ran into some financial trouble not too long ago, so he's living with me until he gets it all sorted out."

"That must be tough."

"Well… he may not always be the easiest person to live with, but he is my brother. I'm going to have his back as long as he at least tries to make things better for himself."

"That seems fair. You're a very good brother, you know that, Feli? I'm not sure I could ever live with my sister."

"You learn to love them anyway, though…" he mused, before trailing off in thought.

"You'll probably see me Tuesday or Wednesday," Daisy mentioned. She decided to return to their previous topic of conversation; she didn't need to know the details of Feliciano and Lovino's situation. "I'm not flying in until late Monday night. I really like it here, almost as much as I love Venice. I think it's because I always feel so welcome. Monika is always so great about giving me a place to stay and everything. Sometimes I can't wait to come back."

"I'm sure she is, if she's anything like Ludwig. She really seems to be."

The two sat in silence for the next several moments. They took the time to eat good portions of their ice cream, which had started becoming soft in the midst of their conversation and now dripped down the cones and onto their hands. When Daisy had nearly finished hers, she became the first one to speak again.

"Hey, Feli? Can I ask you a serious question?"

"Hmm?" Feli replied, looking up from his snack with a somewhat surprised expression.

"I know I keep bothering you about this, but… how do you really feel about Monika?"

He sighed, and took a moment to form his thoughts about the whole situation.

"I don't know, honestly… I'm very confused at the moment. One minute I feel like I know her very well, and another I feel like I don't know her at all. She's so much like Ludwig that sometimes it seems we've known each other for years, but then I have to stop and remember we only met yesterday. Truthfully… I like her very much. But I don't want to rush into figuring out in what way I like her until I've got all this other stuff sorted out."

"That makes sense. I think."

"Promise you won't tell her anything I said?"

"_Si, _I promise."

"_Grazie." _He looked down the street towards Monika's house as he took the last bite of ice cream. "We should probably head back now."

"Yeah, they're probably just about done. Let's go."

The Italian pair had perfect timing, as they found the two Germanys just finishing their work when they made it back to the house. Monika suggested that they all sit in the living room and chat, but Daisy wanted to actually _do_ something; that's when Ludwig asked Monika if she still had her Monopoly board. Everyone agreed that it sounded like a fun way to spend their afternoon, and she went off to search for it, fairly confident it had to be hiding away somewhere. Feliciano watched her get up and leave the room, which the other noticed but said nothing about. Ludwig was quickly picking up on the situation between them, but refused to get involved. He just hoped Daisy would also let it be. Only time would help them figure it out for themselves.

"Here it is!" Monika exclaimed from the other room. She returned a few moments later carrying an old, cardboard game box. "Some of the pieces are missing, and the board itself is quite tattered and fragile, but it's playable."

"Wow, it's really old," Feli remarked.

"Yes it is. I got it way back when the game first came out, and somehow I've managed to hold onto it until now."

"Maybe it's because you organize so well, so you never lost it."

"Maybe. T-thanks, Feli." She could feel her cheeks start to turn hot. Oh no, she couldn't be blushing at such a simple compliment! She tried to remain calm, knowing that freaking out would only worsen her embarrassment. Meanwhile, Daisy contained an inner fangirl squeal.

"Anyway, let's get started," Ludwig suggested, trying to take the pressure off the situation. He gently removed the board from the box and spread it out on the coffee table, then took out all the smaller playing pieces. "Who wants to start?"

The game went on for several hours. They began in the afternoon, and played into the early evening. Feliciano dropped out about half way through after a stroke of bad luck caused him to slowly start losing money, and Daisy wasn't far behind. Ludwig and Monika, however, continued on for quite some time. Both excellent strategists, the two were evenly matched. Monika owned the most expensive property, but Ludwig owned the second most expensive and had built more on it. The two Italians tried to guess who would win, but overall it looked as though they were so close, neither could gain significantly enough. Feliciano finally spoke up when the sun began to set.

"You know, as much as I love watching you guys play and all, it's getting a bit late."

Ludwig looked out the window, then checked his watch.

"You're right, it is. What do you say, Monika? Do we call it a draw?"

"That sounds fair."

"Aww, you're leaving?" Daisy pouted.

"We really should," Feli said. "I still have to pack my stuff, I'm leaving first thing in the morning."

"You're going already?" Monika asked.

"Yeah, my fratello is staying with me right now because of some troubles he's having. He headed back today and I kind of want to be there for him, as hard as it is sometimes…"

"Oh wow, good luck. Having a sibling live with you can be tough, trust me, I know. And given how Daisy's sister is, well…" She trailed off, and decided to stop there. She knew Feli's relationship with Lovino probably wasn't the best, but she wanted to be careful not to offend him in anyway.

"Thanks, I'll need it," he said.

Monika trailed off in thought for a moment, wanting to say more but not sure exactly what she shouldsay. Then, her brain put together its thoughts of siblings and good luck and bad luck, and it made her realize something.

"Hold on," she said, standing up. "Come with me for a second." She moved towards the stairs and Feliciano followed close behind, wondering what she could possibly have in mind. She led him upstairs to what appeared to be her bedroom, and she walked over to a drawer and pulled a small object out of it. "It's a good luck key chain," she explained, handing it to him. He looked it over briefly; it consisted of a few rows of plastic beads hanging from a metal loop with a feather and clover charm on the bottom. "I know it seems silly, but maybe it'll bring you some luck. I have a ton; my sister taught me to make them and I used to do it when I was bored. Now I just give them away when I can because I have more than I know what to do with."

"This is really nice of you, thank you!" Feliciano beamed.

"Really, it's nothing. If you lose it just let me know, I'll give you another one."

He smiled, and put it in his pocked for safe keeping.

"So… when will I see you again?" he asked.

"Two months tops," she replied. "The next world meeting is in Venice, correct?"

"_Si!"_

"And I believe my boss wants me to meet with you guys sometime before then. Something about imports and exports, I think. I'll be in contact with Daisy about it by the end of next week, and I'll be sure to contact you and Ludwig as well."

"Okay, sounds good! But, you know… you can contact me whenever you want, and it doesn't have to be work related."

Monika blushed, and nodded.

"Sure. Why don't you text me when you get home? Just to let me know you've landed safely."

"I can do that."

"We'll have had plenty of contact by the time we see each other again."

"Yeah! We might even be good friends by then if we talk enough."

"You know," the German said with a small, shy smile, "I think we might already be friends."

"I think so too." The Italian returned her smile with one bigger than he already had.

He was headed out the door, to go meet up with Ludwig so they could head back to his house, when he was struck with an afterthought. He turned back around, walked back towards his new friend and gave her a quick and slightly awkward hug.

"It was really nice meeting you, Monika."

"You too Feli. Take care."


	5. Chapter 5

As it turns out, Feliciano was able to see Monika much sooner than expected. Monika made contact with the Italians as promised, and was able to set up a time to meet about the things her boss wished for her and Ludwig to discuss with them. Two weeks after leaving Berlin, Feliciano and Daisy were meeting them at an Italian airport.

"I'm so excited to see them again," Feliciano mentioned to Daisy. He bounced up and down as he watched for them, knowing their plane would be landing any moment. "I've talked to both of them almost every day, at least by text, but it's not the same as seeing them in person, you know?"

"_Si_," Daisy agreed. "We're lucky we get to see them as often as we do, even though it's usually on business."

"Yeah; I hope I get to see Monika now as much as I see Ludwig. It was really fun when the four of us hung out together."

Daisy watched her counterpart in mild amusement for a moment as he continued to bounce. In one hand he clutched his house keys, from which hung the good luck charm Monika had given him on his last day in Germany. He had a habit of holding onto whatever happened to be in his pocket when he was anxious, though Daisy knew he would never actually admit to feeling that way. If only she could devise a way to get them alone together…

"Maybe the four of us can go out to dinner or something while they're here," she suggested. No, it wouldn't get the two alone—and it would be too obvious and cliché if she made up some reason to not be able to go at the last minute—but it would at least get them together long enough to socialize.

"That sounds nice, I would like that!" Feli beamed. He then noticed a pair of tall blondes walking towards them. "Oh look, there they are!"

Without hesitation, he hurried over to greet them. Daisy stuck close behind him, eager to hug Monika. Feliciano did the same with Ludwig, absolutely beaming to see them both. He then looked to Monika, and after a brief moment of awkwardness, offered her a hug as well, which she gladly accepted. Meanwhile, Ludwig glanced over at Daisy, knowing her inner fangirl was screaming and trying not to escape. He knew there was something between the two and that Daisy could sense it as well; he just hoped that she would keep quiet about it and let the relationship take its own course at its own pace.

"How was the flight? Are you guys hungry?" Feliciano asked, barely giving them any time to answer between questions. "Daisy and I were thinking of doing dinner at some point while you were here, but I'm starving and I'm free for the afternoon if you want to do that now. There's this restaurant not far from my house that serves really good pasta." Ludwig and Monika exchanged glances and shrugged.

"I don't see why not," Monika said. "Neither of us has eaten since early this morning."

"Oh, I know which one you mean, Feli! Yes, let's go there," Daisy agreed.

"That does sound like a good idea. If I know which restaurant they are talking about, they're right, it is quite nice," Ludwig mentioned.

"Yay!" Feliciano exclaimed. "And then we can all go back to my place; Fratello is gone for the afternoon so we don't even have to worry about him being mad at me for having extra people around. Come on, we should go get your bags so we can get going!"

Monika cracked a smile at the Italian's excitement, watching as he and Daisy hurried off to the baggage claim area.

"So how long until he wears himself out?" she asked.

"I'd give it until about 3 o'clock," Ludwig replied, smiling a bit as well. "Until then, we had better do what we can to keep up with him."

"You're right, Feli, this is probably some of the best pasta I've ever had," Monika said.

"I'm glad you like it!" the Italian replied, smiling at her from across the table. She blushed slightly and averted her gaze. Ludwig could sense her become uncomfortable, even from his position diagonally across from her. With every moment like this that passed, he became increasingly confident that she was developing feelings for his long-time friend. It was rather out of character for her, really. He wondered whether she had even recognized these emotions herself.

"It's cool that this place is so close to Feli's house, too. Did you know he lives right on the canal, Monika?" Daisy asked.

"Really?" she asked. She looked slightly surprised, as well as interested.

"_Si, si_, it's so pretty, especially at sunset. You'll have to see it around that time before you leave."

"That does sound pretty. Imagine taking a gondola ride at sunset? That would be an experience. I've always wanted to ride in a gondola… I'm not sure why I haven't yet."

Feliciano slowly picked up his head in interest as he listened to Monika speak. Both Ludwig and Daisy realized this, although Monika's mind seemed to be elsewhere for that moment. Daisy watched her counterpart intently, thinking, _You had better be taking a mental note of that, Feliciano._

Silence fell upon the group for just a moment, until it was broken with a change in subject by Ludwig.

"So," he said, "When would be the best time for us to meet? We're only here for a couple days after all, so we can't just sit around forever."

"Oh come on, Ludwig, you're no fun!" Daisy complained. "You spent the morning travelling, so why not take the afternoon off? You deserve it! You both do."

"Yeah, you both work so hard. You deserve some rest," Feliciano said.

"Alright, fine," Ludwig reluctantly agreed, poking at the last of his food with his fork. "But that doesn't change the fact that Monika and I are only here for a short time, so we should at least decide when we're going to meet, even if it isn't today. What do you say, Monika? When would be best for you?"

"Hmm? Oh, the business meeting, right. I apologize, I was lost in thought there for a minute. I am willing to meet any time that works for Feliciano and Daisy, since it is my only real obligation here."

_Well, that was very unlike her, _Feliciano thought, curious about Monika's slow reaction to Ludwig's question. Even having known her for less than a month, he was sure she wasn't someone to become easily distracted. _She must still be thinking about that gondola ride. Don't worry, Monika, you'll get your chance._

About an hour after their conversation at the restaurant, the four nations were making their way towards Feliciano's front door. Monika looked up at the tall building, admiring the architecture and location. She couldn't imagine how wonderful it must have been living in a place like that.

When Feliciano took out his key, she noticed the keychain that hung from it.

"I see you made good use of that good luck charm I gave you," she stated.

"Hmm?" Feliciano said, and glanced down at the object in his hand. "Oh, yeah! It's so fun to have around. It has really come in handy lately."

"How so?"

"Well, it brought you here today, didn't it?" he asked, opening the door and stepping into the house. Monika blushed once again as she and the other two followed him inside. "And Daisy and Ludwig, also. I was mentioning to Daisy earlier how fun it was when all four of us just relaxed together when we were in Berlin. I feel very lucky that we all got to be in one place again so soon. And in my house!"

"It's quite the lovely place," she told him, her eyes wandering around the room they had just entered.

"Would you like a quick tour? I wouldn't mind showing you around."

"Oh, um…that would be nice."

"Yay! Ludwig and Daisy, you guys can come too if you want, but I know you already know your way around."

"I think I'll just have a seat in the living room," Ludwig replied.

"Me too, we'll meet you guys there," Daisy added.

"Okie dokie! C'mon, let's go this way." The Italian gently took the female German by the wrist and led her off into another room, eager to show off his home to someone new. Meanwhile, Ludwig and Daisy found their way to the couch.

Ludwig sighed heavily as he sat down. He knew it wouldn't last long, but at least this would give him a few minutes of peace and quiet—or at least he hoped so. Of course, Daisy sometimes had almost as much energy as her male counterpart, but it only seemed to be amplified to that level when they were together. On her own, she was surprisingly calm. She quietly took a seat beside him.

"It's quite funny to see the two of them together," she noted.

"How do you mean?" Ludwig asked.

"They're really no different from you and me... watching Feli with Monika is almost exactly like watching him with you."

"I see… _Ja,_ I can understand why you would say that."

"Okay, now the stairs are this way…" came Feliciano's voice from down the hall. Daisy and Ludwig watched as the pair crossed through the living room. Neither one said anything, but instead thought about how this was a perfect example of what Daisy had just said about them. They remained quiet until the sound of Feliciano's chattering faded into the far reaches of the house. Then, Daisy spoke up again.

"Hey, Ludwig? Could I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"Does Monika ever tell you anything?"

Ludwig's expression furrowed.

"What kind of things?"

"Like… personal things. I don't need to know what they are, I'm just wondering if she does at all."

"No, not often. If anyone I would think she would tell you; she seems to be closer to you than to me."

"That is true… I was just curious, that's all. I may be closer to her but the two of you have that connection that no one else can have to either of you—just like me and Feli. We know things about each other simply because, well… we're almost the same person."

"Well, it is true that I can usually sense how she is feeling, but that being said, I am not her. Unless she tells me exactly what is going on, I don't know anything beyond that. I cannot always say for certain why she feels the way she does."

"I see… yeah, I suppose Feli and I are much the same way. He just usually tells me what's going on, so I've never really thought about it in that way before. Um…"

Ludwig looked at her and cocked his head very slightly to the side. He wondered what else was on her mind. She definitely sounded like she was about to ask another question.

"_Ja?"_

"If you don't mind me asking… do you think Monika has feelings for Feliciano?"

He paused for a moment and took the time to collect his thoughts. He knew that question had been coming; he just wasn't quite sure how he should go about answering it. In the meantime, he listened carefully to the house, making sure that Monika and Feliciano were not going to be coming within earshot right away.

"Well, she does seem to become uncomfortable whenever he compliments her…" he finally said, "so it is a definite possibility. But to be honest, I believe she either doesn't recognize her feelings for what they are, or she is refusing to act on them. I'm sure you know she isn't one to fall for people too quickly."

"She isn't, you're right… I wish she would lighten up a little. Feli would be such a good match for her."

"You think so?"

"Yeah… on the surface, it may not seem that way. But if you think about it, Monika is my best friend, and you and Feli seem to be close—so if we get along, why wouldn't the two of them be compatible? Plus, he would be so good to her. I know he would."

"He would… that is, assuming he also has feelings for her."

"Ludwig," Daisy laughed, "I really don't think that's a big secret anymore. Feliciano's heart is always on his sleeve. I wish I could just tell him to make a move already, but I know I have to let them work it out for themselves. I just hope that they do, even if it takes a long time. I think Monika would be happier."

"I agree. But only time will tell for certain."

"…And this is my room!" Feliciano said as he opened the door. It was a small space, but sufficient enough for his needs. There was an un-made bed near the window, from which the strong afternoon sunlight shone through thin curtains. There were also an easel and writing desk off to one side, around which miscellaneous art supplies were scattered. What Monika noticed, however, were the drawings and paintings that covered the walls.

"Feliciano, this artwork is amazing! Did you do all this?" she asked. She walked up to a few of the pictures posted above the desk for a closer look at the detail.

"I did—thank you very much! But you know…if you really want to see something beautiful, there are two things you should do. First, come take a look over here." He motioned for her to come closer, and stand beside the window with him. She found that there was just enough room between the bed and the wall to do so. He pulled back the curtain, revealing a perfect view of the Grand Canal.

"Wow, this view is gorgeous! I guess when Daisy said the canal, she really meant _the _canal. I didn't realize we were this close to it."

"Yep! Actually, I purposely led you guys along a different route than I normally take home so you wouldn't notice. That way I could surprise you with this—I thought you might like it, and I guess I was right."

"You certainly were…" she trailed off as she leaned against the window, gazing intently out at the scenery. "Don't get me wrong, I love Berlin, but… damn, I wish I had a view from my bedroom window like this."

"When you're done looking at that, there's one more thing I want you to see…" he said, sliding past her. He walked over to the other side of his bed and stopped beside his mirror, which hung next to it. Out the corner of her eye, Monika could see him fiddling with his clothes as she took a few more moments to watch the outside world. She then turned her attention to him again.

"Okay, now come stand next to me over here," he directed her. She obeyed his request, although she didn't quite understand what he wanted. "Stand… facing this way." He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shifted her position; meanwhile, she had to take a few deep breaths, trying hard not to let her nerves make her tense up under his touch. "Okay," he said. "Here's the second thing."

"…You wanted me to look at your mirror? Is it somehow significant to you? I-it's nice, but it doesn't quite compared to—"

"No, Monika, you're missing the point. I don't want you look at the mirror. I want you to look _in_ the mirror."

"Oh.. I-I.. Feli…I don't even know what to say." _Mein gott, what am I even supposed to say to that?! Oh no, I can't be blushing again, can I?! That has been happening way too much lately…and now it feels worse than ever! My whole face is turning, I know it is._

"Don't worry about it," he assured her. "You're beautiful—just embrace it! And promise me you won't let anyone make you think otherwise."

"S-sure…"

The Italian smiled his usual warm smile, and received an awkward sort of half-smile from the German in response. Before either knew what to say next, the sound of Daisy's voice coming from the bottom of the stairs broke the silence.

"Hey, are you two going to come back and join us any time soon?! Where are you, anyway?"

The two nations laughed a bit and looked towards the open door, expecting Daisy to come bounding in any second. Feliciano let out a contented sigh, and suggested,

"We should go see what they're up to."

"That sounds like a good idea," Monika agreed. "Oh, and by the way… thank you for showing me that."

"You're welcome," he replied. He wasn't sure whether she meant the view of the canal, or the view of herself in the mirror; he didn't really mind either way, though. The important thing was that he got to show her both.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, crap. I told someone today that Romano would be in this chapter but it seems that I was wrong. If you're reading this, sorry about that! I set this story aside a while back so it's actually been a fairly long time since I wrote these chapters, and I couldn't remember exactly what happened when. I wanted to mention this mainly because I did list S. Italy as a character and I figured someone else out there is probably wondering where he is. He WILL be making an appearance in the next chapter as well as the one after. Can't say anything for sure beyond that since it's all I have written at this time, but I do have plans for him to be an important character throughout the plot.

Thanks again to everyone following this story!


	6. Chapter 6

Ludwig, Daisy, and Monika actually stayed at Feliciano's home much longer than they expected to. They felt more relaxed than they had in a long time, simply because they had decided to take the afternoon off. All four of them had been working hard lately. Of course, a nation's work never ends, but it is okay for them to take a break now and then, which is something they often forgot. Smiles and laughter brought about by casual conversation reminded them of this, giving all of them a more positive outlook on their days to come. Of course, Monika couldn't stop thinking about what Feli had said to her. She wondered if it meant anything at all or if he was just being polite. She tried to push that out of her mind, though, and just enjoy the few hours they were all spending together.

The group fell silent when they heard the front door click open. Tensions rose, and although they all tried to remain calm, they couldn't quite help it. They knew without looking who had just walked in, and had no way of predicting what his reaction to seeing them all sitting there would be. They heard the sounds of him kicking off his shoes and tossing his jacket to the side. Then, none other than Lovino Vargas stood at the entrance to the living room. He stared at them for several moments, unblinking, without saying a word; they all stared back at him, waiting for some sort of outburst, or at least muttered curses. Instead, the southern Italian turned and walked away. A few more moments passed, and were followed by a slamming of the guest bedroom door. An awkward silence hung in the air as they exchanged glances, until finally, someone spoke up.

"Well, as much as I hate to leave on that note," Ludwig said, "Monika and I have yet to check into our hotel."

"Okay then," Feliciano replied, understanding completely. "Are you going to stay for a while Daisy?"

"Actually I was thinking of leaving too. I want to get home before dark."

"I see, that's fine."

"But we'll see you bright and early tomorrow," Monika assured him.

"_Si, _just not too early, okay?" Feliciano teased. His habit of sleeping in late was a topic that had come about during their conversation, and Monika was well aware of Daisy's similar tendencies.

"Of course."

Feliciano saw them to the door, waving a final goodbye to the other three as they parted for the night. He really hoped that it hadn't been Lovino's arrival that caused them to go. He knew they had to sometime anyway, and liked to believe it was just a coincidence that his brother had shown up around the time they decided they needed to leave. All he wanted was for everyone to feel comfortable in his home, regardless of whether or not Lovino was there.

As much as he hated the idea of it, he felt he needed to have a talk with his brother. As soon as his guests were out of sight, he made his way to where his brother had locked himself away.

"Fratello?" he called, knocking gently on the door.

"What?" came a sharp, irritated response from the other side.

"Why are you so mad, Fratello?"

"Who said I was mad?"

"Well, you kinda seemed it. Although I guess you didn't start yelling and swearing like you usually do…"

"I don't like seeing them here, okay?! But I decided that this one time, I wouldn't flip shit because I don't feel like dealing with that drama today. That's all. Now please go away and leave me alone."

"I see…" Feliciano mumbled, although not loud enough for Lovino to hear him from inside the bedroom. He felt sad that his brother couldn't accept his friends even after all this time. He wanted them to all get along, but for some reason, Lovino had this hatred for them right from the beginning, and he didn't understand why. It only took him a few moments to bounce back to his normal self, though. "Anyway, I hope you don't stay so grumpy you can't come out for dinner—I'm going to be making spaghetti!" With that, he bounded off to the kitchen to begin preparing their evening meal.

Lovino refused to leave the bedroom until dinner was ready, and even then he remained silent. This, of course, was not an unusual scenario. Feliciano had learned to not try to talk with him, as he would rarely receive any sort of response that could lead to an actual conversation. Tonight was slightly different, though. Despite already knowing the answer, he felt compelled to ask his brother a question.

"Lovino, do you want to be a part of the meeting? We're having it here tomorrow morning. I know it has more to do with this area so it won't affect you much but you can join us if you want."

"If I'm not required to be there, then no thanks," the older Italian replied shortly. "I'd rather not have to put up with the four of you. Two of you are bad enough as it is."

"…Why do you hate them so much?"

"…What, I have to like everybody I meet?"

"No… it's just, I don't understand. After all, you haven't even tried to get to know them. You barely even know Monika."

"Yeah, well, I learned enough about her at the last world meeting to know she isn't someone I have any interest in being friends with. She's exactly like Ludwig, who I never asked to have in my life. One of him is bad enough; I really don't need two."

Feliciano didn't respond. He knew quite well that first impressions were almost never correct, but he didn't want to argue the point, for he also knew his brother was bound to dislike just about everyone he met, no matter what. Instead, he rose from the table without another word, and carried his dishes to the sink. Then, he headed upstairs to his bedroom to make a call.

Thankfully, the phone only rang a few times before it was picked up.

"Feli?" answered a female voice.

"Hey Monika… You sound confused about why I'm calling."

"I am a bit… we only left your home an hour ago."

"I know. I just wanted to say sorry for the way my brother acted. I hope that's not why you left."

"Oh, no, it's fine. We actually stayed much longer than we had planned on—it was time to go anyway. And you don't have to apologize about him, it wasn't your fault."

"I..I know. I just felt kind of bad."

"Hey, no worries. Please, take no offense to this, but I was actually expecting much worse. His counterpart has hated me from day one, though I'm not quite sure why. I didn't think I could reasonably expect much else from him."

"Well, as long as you're alright. Could you tell Ludwig I'm sorry?"

"Sure thing."

"_Grazie._ Have a good night, Monika."

"See you tomorrow."

He slid his phone back into his pocket, feeling a bit better about the whole situation. He was glad to know that Monika hadn't been too bothered by it. As for Ludwig and Daisy, well, he knew they were used to it, as sad as that was.

He spent the next hour or so sketching, but soon grew sleepy. After all, he had skipped his nap because he still had company and wanted to spend time with them instead of snoozing through their visit. When he found himself falling asleep at his desk, he decided it would be best to turn in early.

Feliciano laid in bed no more than a few minutes before drifting off to sleep, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up to the sight of daylight and the sound of Lovino pounding on the door with all his might.

"Alright, twerp, time to get your lazy ass out of bed!" he shouted. "Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head just got here and are coming towards the house right now, and I sure as hell don't plan on letting them in—that's your job, not mine. Be glad that I even decided to wake you up."

Feliciano sprung out of bed and, as fast as he could, changed into some decent clothing (leaving his pajamas in a heap on the floor, of course). He bounded down the stairs and raced to the door, hoping they hadn't been waiting there for too long.

"_Ciao!" _he exclaimed, opening the door and allowing them inside. "Lovino told me you were here—oh, and Daisy, too! This is perfect, come in."

"_Ja,_ met her on the way here," Monika explained.

"Come in, sit down. I'm just going to have something to eat really quick since I just woke up, then we can start the meeting."

"That is quite alright, take your time," Monika said. She followed the other two into the main part of the living room while Feliciano bounced off to the kitchen. After sitting down for only a few moments, they heard Romano trudging through the hallway, only to slam the front door shut. Apparently they wouldn't be seeing much of him any time soon—not that anyone was complaining.

"Well, that was awkward," Daisy stated flatly. When the other two remained silent, she decided she was more interested in what Feliciano was doing, and so she stood and sauntered off to the kitchen.

"_Ciao,"_ she greeted her male counterpart, who stood at the counter making a sandwich. He turned around at the sound of her voice and smile.

"_Ciao _to you, too," he replied. _"_What's up?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just thought I would let you know I thought it was really really cute how you and Monika looked at each other yesterday." The female Italian tried hard to keep herself under control while saying that. Although she kept her voice low enough so Monika would not hear, she couldn't quite suppress a bit of a squeal. Meanwhile, Feliciano let out an awkward laugh and took a bite of his sandwich.

"You say that like we're a couple," he told her, his mouth still full.

"You pretty much are at this point," she argued.

"I don't think so. We've only known each other for a couple weeks, and we've never spent any time alone together, just the two of us. Besides, I don't even know if she likes me back."

Daisy had to resist the urge to shout "so you DO like her as more than a friend!" after that statement. She remembered him saying that he hadn't figured out it what way he liked her, although it really came as no shock that he was starting to develop feelings for the German. Deciding that she had already teased him enough for the time being, she opted instead for a more serious response.

"Well in that case, you should find something to do with her."

"I'd love to do something nice for her," he said, "but since those guys are leaving tomorrow I don't really have the time. I know they're coming back for the next World Conference, but a month and a half seems so far away."

"Well, it'll give you plenty of time to figure out something really special, then," she assured him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" his speech trailed off as he already began to brainstorm possible ideas. He hadn't expected to come up with anything right away, until he suddenly remembered something the German woman had mentioned the day before. "Wait, I've got an idea!" he exclaimed. "But I might need a bit of help to pull it off. Think you can do that?"

"Of course I can! No need to ask me twice." The Italian bounced up and down in anticipation of what came next. She liked this sound of this already.

"Okay, if I can make this work, here's what I need you to do…"

Feliciano whispered the plan to Daisy, and she wholeheartedly agreed that it was a good idea. Not only that, but she was almost certain she could pull off her end of it. It would have to wait, however, until later on. In the meantime, they held their meeting, which went surprisingly smoothly. They all came to an agreement relatively quickly. This, of course, was likely due to the absence of a certain southern Italian, but again, no one had any complaints. The guests left shortly afterwards, deciding not to stay as late as they had the day before.

The two Germans—Monika especially—did not expect to see Feliciano before the next conference, but that all changed when she received a call from Daisy later that evening, around the time the sun was beginning to set.

"I was just wondering if you could possibly go over to Feli's house with me."

"What?" Monika asked, confused. "What for? We were there only a few hours ago."

"Well, I, uh, sort of left my sunglasses there, and I want to go get them."

"Are they really so important that you need them now?"

"Yes! I broke my old pair, so they're the only ones I have now."

"They're still only sunglasses."

"Alright, alright," Daisy sighed. "I suppose I can go over there by myself; it's no big deal. I was just thinking that since it's getting dark and all, you wouldn't want me out and about alone." The phone went silent on Monika's end for a few moments, and the Italian knew she had won.

"I'll meet you at your house in few minutes. Then we can head over from there."


	7. Chapter 7

"Remind me again as to why you had to do this tonight."

A warm evening breeze picked up off the ocean, carrying the dense aroma of salt through the air around the pair of nations as they walked along the narrow stone streets. The Italian took in a deep breath, loving every moment of it all. Venice was her home, and she couldn't imagine being happy living anywhere else. It was truly a part of her, after all. Her German companion, on the other hand, was less than enthused about the situation. Monika couldn't deny that she enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the place, but with an early flight scheduled for the next morning, she wished to be in her hotel room preparing for bed rather than heading back to Feliciano's house, where she had already spent much time over the past couple days.

"I have other things that need doing tomorrow and I don't know what kind of plans Feli has for the day. Besides, I knew you wouldn't mind seeing him one last time before you leave, and if we're lucky, Lovino won't be back yet."

"You say that as if I might never see him again," Monika said. She began to wonder if her seeing Feliciano had anything to do with Daisy so desperately needing her sunglasses before the next day, and why it was necessary for Monika to accompany her—perhaps the Italian was trying to play matchmaker again. In any case it wasn't going to work, if that was the intention. She had already used that damn reverse psychology to get her to come along, but it would not be so easy to fool the German a second time.

"Well, a month and a half can be a really long time, especially when you're waiting to see someone again," Daisy stated. As they turned a corner, Feliciano's house came into view.

"I know what you're getting at, Daisy, and you should trust me when I say I think I can contain myself until the next world meeting."

Before either one even had a chance to knock on the door, it swung open in front of them, revealing Feliciano's smiling face. He didn't look terribly surprised to see them, either, which only increased Monika's suspicions.

"Hey, I thought that was the two of you I saw when I looked out the window a second ago!" he exclaimed. His entire face lit up with that classic smile of his, which Monika couldn't help but take notice of. Much like Daisy, he rarely seemed to be in a bad mood.

"Just came by to get my sunglasses, I sorta left those here earlier," Daisy told him.

"Oh, yeah, they're inside on my coffee table if you want to go in and get them," he said, although he didn't really need to. By the time he finished his sentence his counterpart had already pushed past him and entered the house, leaving him alone on the doorstep with Monika.

"You seem like you're going somewhere," the German noted. Feliciano's face lit up even more when he heard that, which she didn't think was possible until that moment.

"Yes, I am actually," he told her. "See, I kinda know this guy, and he gives me these really big discounts on gondola rides. I haven't been in a while so I thought I would go pay him a visit." Now all the pieces were coming together. Feliciano didn't even have to continue speaking for Monika to figure it all out, but she let him finish anyway. "You know, there's room for two," he said. Monika let out a small laugh—not much of one, but enough to show her amusement at the situation. There was no way this could all just be a weird coincidence, right?

"Only room for two?" she asked, raising her voice just enough for Daisy to hear. "Not three?"

"I can wait here for you to get back, I don't mind!" the female Italian called from inside the house.

"I wouldn't mind some company," Feliciano said softly, an almost sheepish expression on his face.

Definitely not a coincidence. Clearly the two had planned this, and since they had gone this far in actually getting her there she didn't have the heart to refuse.

"Alright, I will go with you."

Monika couldn't help but admire the sky as their gondolier gently paddled them along the canal. With the sun now sitting directly on the horizon, the light dispersed into a pastel orange, perfectly complimenting the surrounding scenery. It was all so beautiful—romantic, even, though she hesitated to call it that. Perhaps she would have if she and Feli had been a couple, but that certainly wasn't the case.

In fact, sitting there alone with him felt rather awkward. She had to admit, she wasn't much of a conversationalist when it came right down to it. Apparently neither was he, which surprised her. When it hit her, however, that this was the first time the two had ever been truly alone together—not including the gondolier, who had barely spoken a word to them from the time they left the dock—she realized that he probably felt the same awkwardness she did, and just didn't know what to say.

"Beautiful evening," she finally mumbled, breaking the silence.

"_Si,_ it turned out so perfectly for this," Feliciano replied in an equally soft tone. "I'm really glad you decided to come, Monika." Monika smiled; she didn't know why, but she liked being addressed in such a gentle manner. It seemed odd, but in a rather pleasant sort of way, as she was not exactly used to it. Not that she was falling for the Italian, or anything, but she found it nice to have a friendly relationship with someone other than Daisy for once, even if it was practically the same thing. She turned at a slight angle to face her companion, feeling slightly more comfortable now that they had spoken a small amount to each other. To keep the conversation going, she asked him a question that had been on her mind the entire boat ride so far.

"So how long have the two of you been planning this?" she asked. She had known from the moment Feliciano asked her to join him that he and Daisy had purposely cooked up a way to make this work without much of a chance for her to back out. For the record, she did not consider herself being tricked into going, as she was fully aware that this was probably some matchmaking thing Daisy had encouraged, and she still made the conscious decision to go in spite of that. After all, it was something she had always wanted to do but never found the time. She may have been deceived about the whole Daisy needing sunglasses ASAP thing, but she had not exactly been forced into going along with some other plan she did not want to.

"Since this afternoon," Feli replied. "Well, kind of. Actually, I've wanted to take you ever since you mentioned it yesterday, but it took me until today to figure out how to surprise you with it."

"Ah, I see. Surely I'm not the first girl you've taken out on a gondola," she teased. She mainly said it to see how he might react.

"Well, no, I've taken quite a few over the years," he admitted. His gaze dropped slightly, just enough to break eye contact with her. "But… taking you is a bit different; it just felt like something I really had to do. When you first mentioned it, you got this look on your face like it was really important to you."

"I did? I guess I am more outwardly expressive than I thought."

"You are, although maybe it's partly because I know Ludwig so well. I know how to read him because he's my best friend and we spend so much time together. I mean, I know you aren't him so you aren't going to be exactly the same but… you reminded me so much of him in that moment. He makes the same face when he thinks about serious things."

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense. Hey, could I ask you something, Feliciano?"

"Of course, anything."

"This might sound a little crazy but… do you sometimes feel as if you know everything about me, while other times you realize you might not know anything at all?"

"That doesn't sound crazy at all!" the Italian exclaimed. "I get those feelings all the time. I think it's because you're Ludwig's other half. I know everything about him and my mind automatically makes those things true for you too, but then I think about the fact that they might not be because you aren't him."

"So you understand how I feel, then. I feel the same way towards you because you and Daisy are so much alike; then I feel almost guilty because I feel like I'm assuming things without really getting to know you."

"I understand that perfectly. I guess we're just going to have to spend more time together and get to know each other for real," Feliciano suggested.

"That sounds nice. I think I like that idea," Monika replied.

Daisy hummed to herself as she waited for the pair to return. She found she didn't like waiting, since she felt so anxious to know how everything was going. She already had plans to ask Monika all about it as soon as the two of them headed out from Feliciano's house. She didn't realistically expect answers, at least not in any great detail, but it would still be worth a try.

She soon heard the front door swing open. She hoped that Monika and Feli had arrived back, although she seriously doubted it. That would have been a rather short trip. She knew it could only be one person.

Sure enough, Lovino Vargas appeared in the entryway to the living room moments later. Upon seeing her sitting there by herself, he stopped in his tracks and stared at her in confusion.

"What are you doing here alone?" he asked in a surprisingly calm manner. Any anger he normally would have felt was overridden by genuine curiosity. "Where are my brother and the potato bastards?"

"Well, Ludwig is back at his hotel. Monika and I left too, but then we came back because I forgot my sunglasses. Now I'm just waiting for Monika and Feli to get back from their thing so Monika can walk me back home and she can go back to the hotel with Luddy."

"And… those two are where at the moment?" his temper began to flare, but he managed to keep calm for the time being. He didn't like where this was going, though.

"They're off making out somewhere."

"WHAT?!" Lovino barked, losing any self-control that had remained. "Who the hell do they think they are?! They can't just go getting together like—"

"Relax, hotshot," Daisy interrupted. "It was a joke. But you should probably get used to the idea; they aren't a couple now, but there's definitely something going on between them. Feli invited her on a gondola ride and she didn't hesitate too long before saying yes. From what I can tell, he gets along with her as well as he does Ludwig." That, of course, was the last thing Lovino wanted to hear.

"Oh that's just fucking perfect, now I'm going to have another kraut-face in my life," he said, throwing up his arms in absolute frustration. With that, he stormed off to the guest bedroom leaving behind a string of curses, followed by a few final parting words to no one in particular. "I am SO having a discussion with him the next time I see his face because that is a thing that can NOT end up happening." He slammed the door behind him, causing Daisy to giggle.

"Oh, Lovino, don't ever change."

Feliciano offered his hand to Monika for balance as she exited the gondola after him, as he felt fairly confident that she did not use boats as a form of transportation nearly as often as he did. She took it without hesitation, and stepped onto land. Although she wobbled, he didn't let her fall. He released her hand as soon as she had solid balance since he feared creating an awkward situation. He had to admit, though, he found that he really liked holding her hand, even if it did only last a few seconds. He thought for a moment that maybe Daisy was actually on to something, but then again, he really had no way of knowing if Monika felt the same way about the whole thing. The best thing to do for their relationship was probably to give it time to grow, instead of jumping right in to something too soon. For now, he would just focus on being friends with her.

"_Danke,"_ Monika said as the two of them began a slow stroll back towards Feliciano's house.

"No problem; I know it can be kinda hard to walk on land after sitting in a boat on the water for a while."

"Oh, no, I meant thanks for doing this with me. It really means a lot." With one swift motion, and without really thinking, she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Then, realizing what she had done, withdrew slowly while her entire face heated up. It was only a matter of moments before she turned a deep tomato red. "I…I'm sorry," she said, crossing her arms tightly across her chest while staring at the ground. "I'm not sure what came over me just barely, I only meant it as a friendly gesture."

"That's alright!" Feli assured her, though he began to turn a pretty shade of pink himself. "I'm used to it, you know, being Italian and all. People kiss each other all the time for stuff like this, or just as a greeting or whatever. It's almost a daily occurrence, really. No need to worry."

"Oh, I know, I just thought that maybe it seemed weird coming from me…"

"Well, it did surprise me a bit, but no, it really isn't that weird."

"That's good." Still feeling embarrassed about the whole situation, the German decided on a slightly different topic of discussion. "Anyway, I feel like I owe you now. Is there anything I can do for you in return?"

"You don't have to do anything like that!" Feliciano exclaimed, almost shocked that she would suggest such a thing. "I did this because I wanted to do something nice for you, and I remembered you mentioning the gondolas. I couldn't ask for any sort of return favor."

"Alright, alright, but if you do happen to think of something, don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

"_Si, _I will."

"For now, I think we should hurry back—it's going to be fully dark soon," Monika suggested. That, and Ludwig was probably beginning to wonder when she would return. There was also the fact that she suddenly felt the urge to end this conversation as soon as possible, since she couldn't quite get over the fact that she had actually _kissed_ Feliciano, even if it was only on the cheek. Thankfully, he didn't seem as concerned about it as her, which made her feel a tiny bit better.

"You're right, let's go," he agreed, and the two picked up a swift walking pace. The two spoke few words to each other the rest of the way back. Although seemingly unaffected by it, the kiss actually stayed on Feliciano's mind as much as it did Monika's. Both of them, however, refused to bring it up again.

* * *

**A/N: **Alright, so this is the last pre-written chapter I have so far, but I will attempt to update relatively regularly. Not sure exactly how often that will be, but it will be more than once every couple of months or something like that :P I think I'm going to aim for at least once a week.


	8. Chapter 8

The hotel room was dark when Monika returned there later that evening. Ludwig had been reading in bed when she left, but had apparently decided to turn in for the night while she was away. She closed the door as gently as possible behind her, hoping to not disturb him. Rather than waiting for her eyes to adjust, she stumbled about in the blackness for a few moments as she searched for the duffel bag she had used to transport her clothing. During this time, she heard her male counterpart begin to stir.

"You're back," he said.

"_Sheisse, _did I wake you?" she asked in a half-whisper.

"No, you're fine; I had just turned out the light before you came in. What held you up?"

"The whole thing was a setup."

"A setup?"

Able to clearly see different objects now, Monika located her bag and unzipped it. She reached inside it and groped around until she found what felt like her pajamas, as she couldn't quite make out different colors. Pulling out what she believed to be them, she stepped into the bathroom to change but kept the door open in order to continue the conversation. She didn't exactly want to drop it after that comment.

"Remember when I mentioned the thing about the gondolas at the restaurant yesterday?" she asked him, speaking at her normal volume now. "Well, apparently Feli decided it was necessary to spring a surprise gondola ride on me. The whole thing about Daisy leaving her sunglasses behind was just a way to get me back there."

"And you went along with it?"

"I couldn't really say no after they went through all the trouble just to get me there. Feli said he's wanted to take me ever since I mentioned it, but I have to wonder how much of it is Daisy's doing as well. She's really pushing the whole 'Feli and I are meant for each other' idea. She even stayed behind so it was just me and Feli in the gondola."

Ludwig did not have much to say in response to this, so he stayed quiet. He could almost feel Monika's internal conflict, but he preferred to stay out of it. Meanwhile, he watched her dark figure come out of the bathroom and place her day clothes neatly into her bag before she lay down in her bed on the left side of the room. Both lay still in their respective beds for several moments, waiting to see if the other would continue the conversation or if that was the end of it. Eventually, Monika spoke up again.

"I just don't know what to do, Ludwig," she said. She didn't bother masking the near desperation in her voice. "I don't fall for people, especially this quickly."

Ludwig bit his lip in thought and formulated his words carefully. This was turning into a rather sensitive topic, and he didn't want to say the wrong thing. He decided the best approach would be to speak gently but in a straightforward way.

"I am not going answer that for you," he told her, trying to not make a big deal out of the fact that she had basically just confessed her feelings for Feli to him (not that it had really been any secret to him, since he could read her so well.) "Your feelings and your relationships are your business, so I'm not going to say what you should and should not do. We're going to be around for quite some time, so you don't have to do anything at all right now; you have all the time you need to sort things out. You should know, however, that if you do decide to be with him, that he is an extremely loyal friend and would likely be an extremely loyal partner. Just don't do it only because Daisy says you should." He paused, and then as an afterthought, added, "And don't not do it just because Lovino wouldn't approve."

"Hmm, I see what you're saying. _Danke,_ Ludwig; those are some good things to keep in mind. I just hope that Feliciano knows the same thing. About doing it or not doing because someone said so, I mean."

"_Ja_, I worry about that, too. He's a good guy, but he can be a real pushover."

"He is a good guy," Monika agreed. "You know, it's funny… how is it that it took until now for me to meet him? You and Daisy had met two or three times before now."

"I believe that entirely your fault," Ludwig stated. He said it in a matter-of-fact sort of tone, but retained a hint of amusement in his voice as he did not want her to take it the wrong way. "I don't mean to sound harsh, Monika, but I offered to introduce the two of you before, and you would always make up some excuse about how busy you were and would have to meet him some other time. After a while, I just stopped asking."

"Well, I _was_ busy!" she replied, matching his tone of voice. "Not that I couldn't have set the work aside for later, I suppose. Thinking back on it now, it probably _was_ more of an excuse than anything, but it isn't like I didn't have things to do and deadlines to meet, and so I used that as a way to justify not meeting him. I think I was just afraid of having a second Daisy in my life, to be perfectly honest. I haven't always been as close to her as I am now; she just sort of clung to me at first, and was more of a nuisance than anything. I didn't want to risk Feli doing the same thing."

"He just did it to me instead," Ludwig said with a small laugh. He rolled onto his side, pulled the blanket up over his shoulder, and snuggled deeper into the pillow, ready to call it quits for real now. "In any case, the two of you know each other now, so none of those things really matter anymore. We should get some sleep—travel is hard enough even on a good night's rest."

"I agree… Oh, hey Ludwig?"

"Hmm?"

"Remember a couple weeks ago—the day after the last meeting, I think—when you said you'd be there if I needed to talk about anything?"

"Of course."

"Thank you for listening to me tonight."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Monika."

"Goodnight."

It did not often take Feliciano very long to fall asleep, but tonight he lay in his own bed just as wide awake and restless as Monika. He couldn't keep the thoughts from plaguing his mind. When he had returned home, Daisy informed him that his brother had returned a few minutes before, and wasn't exactly happy to hear that Feliciano had gone out with Monika somewhere. This was to be expected, no doubt, but it made him worry about how Lovino may continue to react to them spending time together.

Of course Feli had dealt with a lot of crap from his brother for some time already, given his friendship with Ludwig, but he wondered if he would hear it twice as much due to his relationship with Monika, especially if their relationship became something more than just friends.

And that led to another question: would they become more than friends? For a minute, it seemed as though they would. She kissed him on the cheek, after all. She claimed that it had only been friendly, however, and even apologized for it. He just didn't know what to make of that. He wanted to believe she wasn't lying to him, but he didn't know if he could really believe her. Then again, maybe he just didn't want to believe her because of his own feelings. Even just thinking about her gave him butterflies in his stomach.

Maybe she did like him and didn't want to admit it. Ludwig had never been one to admit things very quickly—but he didn't want to assume that was the case with her just because of how her counterpart acted.

He wondered if Lovino was still awake. He had already been in the guest room when Feliciano came back, and Feliciano decided that perhaps it was best to leave him alone and head up to his own bedroom for the night. Maybe by morning, his brother would forget all about the whole gondola ride thing. Or perhaps he would just wait for some moment when he could bring it up again that would somehow make Feli feel bad about it. The younger Italian could just see it now. "Oh, well, why don't you go ask the potato bitch? You seem to like her well enough, since you took her out on a sunset gondola ride or whatever." It's not like he hadn't done something like that before.

All this contemplating made his brain hurt. He rolled over into a new position and began to sing an old Italian lullaby to himself, determined to push any and all thoughts out of his mind so he could finally get some sleep. It didn't have an immediate effect, but after some time he did begin to feel a bit sleepy. After that, it took all but a few minutes for him to finally drift off.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Much longer chapter this time, hope that's okay! I'm trying to extend the length of my chapters since I often end them feeling like not much happened.

Also, I thought of something recently that may or may not become important. (It's mainly a clarification thing.) Although I do believe the Germany is Holy Rome theory, I do not consider them to be the same character as far as this particular story is concerned, because if they were, things could get seriously complicated.

* * *

Ludwig and Monika stepped into the conference room in Venice for the next world meeting, followed closely by their older siblings. Unsurprisingly, they found the place nearly empty. The only ones who had arrived ahead of them were the two personifications of Switzerland, who sat at the far end of the large table engaged in quiet conversation. The country's female personification momentarily gazed in their direction upon their arrival, but otherwise, neither one of them really acknowledged their presence. The Germans were not offended, though, as they were used to the two keeping to themselves most of the time.

Monika inspected the room, hoping there would be enough space for everyone. Despite being it called a "world" meeting, she suspected the term was only used for lack of a better word. It certainly sounded simpler than a "Europe plus parts of Asia and North America" meeting, which better described the countries that typically attended. Even with that in mind, however, she could tell that the place would probably be rather crowded considering that both genders would be coming together once again. She hoped that at least one of the host nations would arrive soon so she could ask them about possibly finding more chairs. She could tell without counting them that there would not be enough for everyone and that they would have to add several more to the table, which is why she felt concerned about crowding.

As if he had been thinking along the same lines, Gilbert commented on the absence of the Italians.

"You would think between the four of them, at least one Italy would manage to show up early," he said.

"You know how they are," Ludwig replied. No more really needed to be said on the matter for the others to understand what he meant, because to see any of them show up significantly early would be odd. Even so, Monika decided to voice her concerns, which turned out to be a big mistake.

"It would be nice for one of them to show up soon, though. I would like to look into getting some more chairs in here."

"And by one of them you mean Feliciano, right?" Julchen teased, a devilish grin spreading across her face. Monika quickly turned bright red, and even Ludwig's cheeks gained a touch of pink just from the slight embarrassment of even hearing the comment and knowing where the conversation was probably headed. He glanced over at the two Switzerlands and thanked God neither one had been listening, especially as Julchen continued. "I mean, he's basically one step away from being your boyfriend."

"What?!" Gilbert exclaimed. "How have I not heard about this? You never tell me anything, West!"

Ludwig opened his mouth to reply, but Monika interjected before her counterpart could get any words out.

"He is not my boyfriend. She's making that up from practically nothing."

"Remember when she and Ludwig came to Venice five or six weeks ago? Apparently while they were here, she got a free gondola ride with Feli."

For a split second, Gilbert's eyes widened in surprise. His expression quickly changed, however, to match the mischievousness of Julchen's, and Monika instantly regretted ever telling her sister about the experience.

"Ha, sounds like more than 'practically nothing' to me. You're either lying or in denial," Gilbert said.

"Would you mind your own business for once in your life?" Ludwig snapped, deciding to step in. He was becoming more irritated with the two Prussias by the second and could tell that Monika was, too. On top of that, he did not want to see any drama before the meeting started nor did he want any other nation to walk in on the conversation and get the wrong impression. Monika apparently had the same thoughts.

"We're _friends,_" she insisted. She had no idea whether they would remain that way or become something more, but despite what might possibly happen in the future, that was the absolute truth for the time being. "I couldn't exactly say no to something like that, especially because he and Daisy came up with some plan that did not allow me to back out that easily. Now I would appreciate it if both of you"—she looked first to Gilbert, then to Julchen—"take a seat and shut the hell up before you start any false rumors."

"Fine, fine." Gilbert waved a hand dismissively, and the two went to find a place at the table. Neither of them felt offended by Monika's harsh words, as they were used to hearing it now and then from either her or Ludwig, or even sometimes both at the same time on extra special occasions. Despite being the older siblings, being the mature ones just seemed too unawesome unless under the rare circumstance where they had to be.

Monika and Ludwig breathed out simultaneous sighs. They were fortunate that it had been relatively easy to quiet those two down. Even so, Ludwig felt bad for Monika as he knew what state of mind that must have put her in. Although it would likely only be a short time until she relaxed again, he hoped there would be no more trouble the rest of the day.

Within moments of that thought occurring to him, the door clicked open and in walked Lovino Vargas. Ludwig decided to take a seat as well to avoid an unnecessary conflict with him.

_Oh, how wonderful_, Monika thought. Of all the Italians who could have arrived first—and actually early, for once—it had to be him. She had honestly hoped that it would not be him, but at the same time, the whole issue with the chairs still bothered her. Slightly irritated and tense from the conversation that had just occurred, it took her some work to keep her composure as she began to approach the last person in the world she typically wanted to speak with. Her entire attitude changed, however, when a second Italian walked through the door just moments behind Lovino.

"Feli!" she exclaimed, sounded more excited than she had intended to.

"Hi Monika! How are you doing?" Feliciano asked, going to hug her without a second thought. The two had stayed in contact during their time apart, but they both found that seeing someone in person always beat just communicating by text or occasionally by talking on the phone.

Monika, aware of the looks she was receiving from Gilbert and Julchen, shot them both a quick glare over Feliciano's shoulder before pulling away from him. She could sense that Lovino was staring at her with a glare of his own, but chose to ignore it.

"Good, good. Hey, could you help me with something? I was wondering if you knew where I might find some more chairs, there aren't enough here to seat everyone."

"Hmm… I think I do, actually. There's a storage room downstairs that probably has some. Follow me, I can show you where it is."

She followed close behind him as he turned to exit the conference room, well aware of how the whole situation looked. She didn't care, though, because all she wanted in that moment was to escape the tension that hung in the air. Unfortunately for her, Lovino wasn't about to make it that easy on her. As she passed him he grabbed her somewhat roughly by the wrist—not hard enough to hurt but certainly enough to catch her attention, not to mention piss her off. In the meantime, a completely oblivious Feliciano carried on ahead without her.

"Don't think I can't see what's going on between you two. I know what's happening and I don't like it," Lovino growled next to her ear.

"Well look again, because what you think you're seeing isn't there. We are _friends,_" she retorted, not pleased about having to explain that a second time within a matter of a few minutes. She yanked her arm out of his grasp and left without another word, hurrying to catch up with Feliciano before she fell too far behind.

She stepped out of the conference room and looked down the hallway to her right, where she fortunately spotted the Italian just as he was about to turn towards the stairwell. With a few swift strides she managed to catch up, falling into step behind him just as he looked back to make sure she had ahold of the door. He really could be clueless sometimes, but in that moment, Monika couldn't have been happier about it. She decided she wouldn't mention the incident with Lovino moments ago, and hoped that Ludwig, Gilbert, and Julchen would refrain from bringing it up as well (for surely they had all seen it happen.) She didn't want to do anything that would add tension to the brothers' relationship, especially knowing that Lovino still lived with Feliciano and showed no signs of moving out any time soon.

"Have you been busy?" Feliciano asked, snapping Monika out of her train of thought as they descended the stairs.

"Hm? Oh, I suppose. Same as usual, really. A little more so recently, I guess."

"How long are you here?"

"I'm flying out tomorrow at noon. I wanted to stay longer but my workload got pretty hectic about a week ago and I'm still trying to catch up. I have to get back as soon as possible."

"That's too bad, I was hoping you would stay a little longer," Feliciano said. He looked up at her as he turned a corner at the top of a second flight of stairs, and from where she stood a few steps above him, she could easily see the disappointment in his expression. She felt bad, but she hadn't had much choice in the matter. What she said next, though, made his face light right back up.

"I'll just have to come for a visit sometime when things start to slow down," she suggested.

"That sounds like a really good idea!" he replied. He liked the thought of being able to see her when she wasn't there on business, but instead because all she wanted was to spend time with him. For the remainder of his descent down the stairs, he daydreamed about the possibility.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairwell, the two entered a hallway on the main floor and took a left, which soon brought them to the storage room Feliciano had mentioned. Luckily, someone was getting supplies at the time so the door was already open.

"Looks like there should be enough chairs in here," he said, peeking into the room. "They're the metal folding ones so they aren't the best, but they work. I'll help you bring the upstairs; we can use the elevator to bring several at a time."

"Thanks, Feli, I really owe you for this," Monika replied. Although she hadn't intended it, those words sparked a memory in Feliciano's mind. Suddenly struck with an idea, he turned to face her.

"You said that after the gondola ride, too. Remember how I said I didn't expect anything in return, but you insisted that I let you know if I ever thought of anything?"

"Yes, and?"

"I thought of something. Since you're leaving tomorrow, it'll have to be tonight."

"And what would that be?"

"Take me out to dinner."

"What?! Y-you mean like… on a date or something?" She couldn't believe that was the implication, but what else could he have meant? She didn't know what to say, especially considering she wasn't exactly asked on dates all the time.

"We could call it a meal shared between friends, if you prefer," Feliciano replied. "You pick where we go, and we can split the cost."

"Or," Monika said, finding her words again as she began to warm up to the idea, "I pick where we go, and I'll cover the cost. I think I have enough money with me, and whether you want to believe so or not, I do owe you."

"Okay, sounds good to me," Feliciano laughed. He was just happy that he had even gotten her to agree, because he honestly hadn't expected her to. Perhaps she only said yes so she could finally give something back to him. In any case, it didn't matter all that much in the end, because at least he had managed to find a way to see her outside of the conference during her short stay. He couldn't wait until later that evening.

Time passed rather slowly during the meeting, as usual. At least being the host nation gave Feliciano something to focus on for some of the time, since he and Daisy led the discussions—that is, until disagreements got out of hand and Ludwig couldn't help but take over. After that, Feli wanted to snooze through the whole meeting, because obviously no agreements were going to be made at that point. In his most distracted moments, he always found himself gazing in Monika's direction, and even caught her eye a few times. She usually broke eye contact almost immediately after, probably preferring to focus her attention on the person speaking at the time. Little did he realize, she wanted to get out of there almost as badly as he did. Finally, after things had spiraled downward to the point where no one had any reason to continue on, they all agreed to end the conference. Feliciano headed straight home afterwards, and before he knew it, he was preparing to leave for dinner.

He threw on a casual pair of pants with a nice shirt, which he believed to be appropriate for the restaurant Monika had chosen. Not too cheap, but not terribly fancy either, as Monika hadn't exactly brought along any dress clothes aside from what she wore to the meeting. That and it was only a first date, if they were even calling it that. They hadn't exactly established whether it was a date or simply a meal between friends.

On his way out the door, he passed by his brother watching television in the living room. He hadn't really intended to say anything to him, but Lovino's curiosity got the better of him.

"Where are you headed off to, anyway?" he asked.

"Dinner," Feli replied.

"With?"

"…Germany." It wasn't technically a lie. He just didn't feel like giving the whole truth at the moment. He knew that by saying "Germany," Lovino would assume he meant Ludwig, which was not an uncommon occurrence and seemed less likely to upset his brother than if he had specifically said Monika.

"Oh of course. Who else would it be?" Lovino rolled his eyes, reminding himself to never ask again because it would only be a waste of breath. The answer would almost always be the same. "Anyway, don't expect me to be sitting here when you get back. I'll probably be in my room ignoring you."

"Okay, Lovi," Feliciano replied, "see you sometime tomorrow then." With that, he was off to meet Monika at the restaurant.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long earlier," Feliciano said, trying to make light conversation. The waiter had just brought their food so he didn't exactly want to get into any deep subjects, but he didn't want to sit there in complete silence, either.

"No, you didn't, I only arrived here a few minutes before you did," Monika replied. She stared down at her food and picked at it for a few moments before taking a bite, meanwhile avoiding eye contact with Feli. She did not do this intentionally—she simply had a harder time socializing with him than normal in this new setting. It felt strange to be sitting there with only him.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Feliciano asked. He gestured towards her food.

"It's fine—actually, it's really good," she said, looking at him now and flashing him a quick smile. "I came here once a few years ago and knew that I liked the food, which is why I suggested we go here, but it's better than I remember."

"Good, I'm glad you like it!"

"We'll definitely have to come here again sometime."

Woah, wait. Did she really just suggest that they do this again? Fifteen minutes into the outing, and she already suggests a second one. Time for a quick change in subject.

"Oh, by the way, I just wanted to give you a heads up that Daisy knows about us doing this. She wanted to spend time with me tonight, and when I told her I had other plans already, she immediately became suspicious."

Feliciano laughed.

"Well, she probably would have found out sooner or later, anyway."

"That's true," Monika agreed, laughing a bit as well. "Does your brother know?"

"Nope. I didn't tell him that I was coming with you, exactly. I just said 'Germany,' and I'm pretty sure he didn't automatically assume you." Now Feliciano became the bashful one, not exactly comfortable with the topic of conversation anymore. He didn't like that he had to hide his friendship with Monika, and worried about how his brother might react if he found out they were a couple, were that to happen.

"Sorry if that's a sensitive topic," she mumbled.

"No, no, it's okay, really!" Feliciano assured her. "Let's just talk about something different, _si?_ So, um, how about that next visit?"

"To this restaurant?"

"No, to Venice. Remember what we talked about earlier?"

"Oh, _ja!_ I'm sorry but I can't be very specific right now. I definitely would like to come see you at some point—and Daisy as well, of course—but I just don't know when. I'll have to let you in a couple of weeks when I have a better idea of what my work schedule is going to be like."

"That's fine, I just don't want to have to wait another whole two months for the next conference to see you in person again, that's all."

"I understand. I would like to see you again soon, as well."

Feliciano could feel his insides begin to flutter, especially when they made eye contact again. It was almost as if they had both confessed their love or something, though they had not actually done anything of the sort. Despite being a flirt, Feliciano did not often come this close to having a real relationship and suspected that Monika did not either, so he found himself stepping into foreign territory. It may as well have been a love confession, though, because telling someone he wanted to see them again and hearing them say they wished for the same thing was the biggest step towards a relationship he had had in a rather long time.

Once both nations made it past the butterflies (which Monika had experienced at the same time as Feliciano) the dinner continued on normally, filled with casual conversation mainly about the day's events with some talk of other subjects sprinkled in, such as home life, favorite foods, and other things that people discuss while getting to know each other.

After their meal, he walked her back to the hotel where she and Ludwig were staying. Although he trusted she could find her way back on her own, he knew he would rest easier knowing she had made it back safely. The sky was cloudy, making it a much darker evening than usual, and he knew how differently places could look in the dark versus the light. Besides, going back with her gave them a few extra minutes to spend together.

"Thanks for doing that with me tonight," he said upon reaching the entrance to the hotel. "We're even now, so don't keep trying to tell me you owe me anything."

"It was my pleasure, really. Thanks for asking me—or rather, for suggesting I take you out, I suppose." Her lips curved into a sort of half-smile that gave Feliciano the sudden desire to kiss them, though he resisted the urge; after all, he had no idea how she might react. Sure, she had kissed him on the cheek at one point, but then she immediately claimed it was only meant as a friendly thank you. She truly confused him at times. He couldn't tell if she felt the same way as he did, or if he was reading too deeply into her actions and making them into something they weren't because it was what he wanted to believe. It would be so hard to walk away without kissing her, but he knew he had to give it more time. He did not want to risk creating awkwardness in what surely could at least become a close friendship.

"I guess I shouldn't hang around too long. So I'll see you soon?"

"Definitely. Like I said, I will let you know as soon as I can."

"Okie-dokie. Goodnight, Monika. Have a safe trip home tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Feliciano."


	10. Chapter 10

Feliciano paced around his bedroom.

It had been approximately two and a half weeks since the last meeting, after which he and Monika had gone out to dinner. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about their relationship ever since then. He could live with knowing his feelings for her would never be returned; the problem was that he couldn't for the life of him figure out how she felt. She continued to send him mixed messages, and not knowing if she actually had feelings for him was starting to drive him crazy.

He took a seat on his bed and stared across the room at his cellphone, which sat on his desk. He wanted to call her and ask. It wasn't that hard to just pick up the phone and do it. That's what he tried to tell himself, at least, but of course those types of things are much easier said than done.

He stood again, and continued pacing.

He knew she could never resent him for being honest, even if she didn't have feelings towards him. She would at least appreciate that he had not kept his emotions a secret. He also knew that he would never regret telling her, no matter how she responded, because at least then it would be off his chest. Therefore, he really had nothing to lose in the situation.

He glanced at his phone once again and decided to just go for it. Without thinking about it too hard or for too long, he hurried over to his desk, picked up his phone, found Monika's number in his contacts list, and hit dial before giving himself the chance to change his mind.

He took a few slow, shaky breaths as he listened to the ringing on the other end. He kept expecting her to answer after each ring, but she always failed to do so. He eventually reached her voicemail, at which point he realized he hadn't made a plan for what to do in such a situation. Having only a few seconds to think while the automated recording played, he began with a simple, generic greeting as soon as he heard the beep.

"Hi Monika; it's Feli. I just wanted to call and talk for a bit, um…"

Oh crap, he didn't know what to say after that! He should have just hung up, planned out what he wanted to say, and then called back—but it was too late now. The message had already begun recording. He decided that since he didn't just want to end it there, a straightforward approach seemed best.

"Look, I… I really like you, and that probably doesn't even come as a shock considering I'm kind of bad at keeping my feelings secret. I wanted to tell you sooner but I can't tell what you're feeling since I seem to be getting some mixed messages. I guess what I want to know is where we stand—in our relationship, I mean. If you could call me back that would be good, but don't feel pressured about responding right away if you have to think about it. Also I won't be mad if you say you just want to be friends. I just need to know so I can stop thinking about it all the time. _Grazie, _talk to you later."

Feliciano flopped downwards onto his bed once more, this time while letting out a heavy sigh. He tossed his phone to the side, hoping Monika would call back soon and yet somehow still dreading the moment when she would. He felt somewhat relieved in the sense that he had finally said something, but overall he didn't feel much better. He now had to deal with this new anxiety that waiting for her response had brought him.

The call came sooner than he expected—within the hour, in fact. His heart skipped a beat when his phone went off. He suspected it was her the moment it started ringing, which the caller I.D. confirmed. He let it ring a moment for a couple of reasons: one, it allowed him to mentally prepare himself to answer, and two, it made it seem as though he hadn't been practically right on top of his phone anticipating her call (because who would ever do such a thing, right?)

"Hello," he finally said.

"Hey, I got your message. Is your computer on?"

"Uh… yeah, it is," he replied, glancing in the direction of his laptop, which sat open on one side of his desk. "Why?"

"Get on Skype. I want to have this conversation face-to-face."

"Alright, so, who do you think should start?" Feliciano asked a few minutes later, now addressing the Monika on his screen.

"Well, since you called me, why don't you?" Monika suggested. Although she would have preferred to have this conversation in person, she wasn't going to wait until she could see him again to reply, so she settled for the next best thing. It was certainly better having him think that she was either ignoring him or that she hadn't gotten the message.

"I guess I don't really have much to say, I kind of said it all in the voicemail." He rubbed the back of his neck, a bit uncomfortable with the current situation. His skin felt warm to the touch, which didn't surprise him as he could also feel the tips of his ears beginning to turn hot. "All I really want to know is how you feel about me."

"I… I don't know," she told him truthfully, having hesitated a few moments before speaking. "I think I do have some feelings towards you, but the idea of a relationship makes me… uncomfortable, I suppose you could say. I haven't been in one in a very long time. That dinner a couple weeks ago was the closest thing I've had to a date in probably almost a century. I'm not even exaggerating."

"I believe you," Feliciano assured her.

"On top of that, I'm not sure whether a romantic relationship would be without risk, or appropriate for that matter. It's not like it happens between nations all the time."

"True, it isn't common, but we wouldn't be the first. I'm not trying to force you into anything by saying this, but you probably should know that we wouldn't be alone in this. Feliks and Toris—male Poland and Lithuania, as you probably know them—have been in a relationship for years."

"They have?" Her posture straightened, and she blinked a few times. She had not been aware of that. It made sense that she would not have known, as she hadn't yet come to know many of the male nations that well, and thinking on it for a few moments did change her perspective on the issue a bit.

"Yep. I wouldn't lie about something like that."

"I trust that you wouldn't, Feli."

That was another thing: trust. She had never been one to trust people quickly, but she felt as though she could trust Feliciano. It just seemed so out of character to do so, considering they had only known each other for roughly two and a half months. It usually took much longer than that for her to place her complete trust in someone, and yet she probably would not even think twice when it came to him.

"Like I said in my message, don't feel pressured into deciding how you feel if you have to think about it for a while," Feliciano said after Monika had remained silent for quite some time.

"What do you see in me?" she asked softly. Despite trusting Feliciano and being less concerned than she had been initially about how they would be perceived if they did become a couple, she still hesitated at the idea of being in a relationship. Perhaps that was what drove her to change the subject so suddenly. It was as if she needed reassurance that dating him would be the right thing.

Feliciano seemed almost taken aback, surprised that she would even ask such a question.

"Well, I… I like everything about you!" he told her. "I know that probably sounds like what I'm supposed to say, but it's true! It isn't just one thing. I'm drawn to you as a whole person."

"I suppose that makes sense…" she said. "So, say we did, you know, start a relationship. Would you mind if we kept it to ourselves, at least for a while? Of course, telling people would eventually become inevitable, but I don't think I would be willing to just go shouting it to the world, either."

"Of course! Although, I don't think we should keep Daisy in the dark for too long. Or Ludwig. But Daisy especially—she should be the first to know."

"I agree, Daisy has—"

Monika stopped mid-sentence when she heard a commotion out in the hallway. "Commotion," she felt, was truly the correct word in this situation, as it quite accurately described the sound of Julchen coming down the hallway to see her, most likely for the purpose of being obnoxious. Even Feliciano could hear her shouting German in the background. Sure enough, a few moments later, the Prussian came bursting into the room with all of her might.

"_Ever heard of knocking?!" _Monika snapped, irritated by this sudden invasion of privacy.

"_I don't think that word is in my vocabulary,_" Julchen replied, feigning innocence. Then she noticed Feliciano. "What's this, talking to your boyfriend?" she teased, switching to English in order to target them both. She expected instant backlash from Monika and extreme embarrassment from both of them, but instead, the pair fell quiet. She didn't know what to think for a moment, especially when the two exchanged glances. She saw the silent communication between them, but couldn't quite read it.

"So much for Daisy being the first to know," Monika finally mumbled.

"Wait, so you're telling me that you're legit dating?!" Julchen exclaimed. "I never thought I would see the day! I mean I guess I knew there was something there, but I never expected you to actually act on it! Here I was thinking you were gonna be all unawesome towards poor Feli, who clearly likes you, and—"

"We get the idea," Monika interrupted her. "Just don't go around telling everyone please. We want to only let a few people know for now."

"Of course, of course! No need to worry. Look, I know I can be douchey sometimes, but I know my boundaries and I'm not going to overstep them in this case. So, can I ask how long?"

"A few seconds," Feliciano spoke up, laughing bashfully.

"It basically happened right before you burst into the room," Monika added.

"Well, that is quite awesome if I do say so myself. I would say next on your list of things to do should be to schedule a flight to Venice, don't you think so Feli?"

"Oh yeah! We did talk about seeing each other before. If you aren't too busy, Monika, we should think about doing that."

"I agree, although why don't you come here instead? Do you think you can manage that?"

"Sure, I don't see why not! How long should I stay?"

"Stay as long as you want!" Julchen jumped in. "I can even make myself invisible the entire time, if that's what you two need."

"Somehow I doubt you'd be capable of doing that for long," Monika grumbled. "In any case, do you mind? I would prefer to speak with Feliciano alone."

"Yeah, whatever, I don't really care. I want to get back to the game anyway, and commercials should be just about over. I actually came in to tell you that we scored."

"That's nice. I'll probably come out to watch it with you in a while but right now I care more about other things.

"Alright then, have fun chatting with your new boyfriend!"

Finally, after that last, teasing comment, Julchen left the room with a parting wave.

"What a pain," Monika sighed. "But she is correct. You are more than welcome to stay for as long as you need to. I assume you would be staying with Ludwig?"

"That seems most likely. I guess I'll get into contact with him and find out what works best, and then we can go from there. And actually, if you don't mind, I would kind of like it if only he picked me up at the airport. That way I can tell him about us in person without it being all awkward."

"That sounds perfectly acceptable to me. But if you're going to tell him, then you should let me be the one to tell Daisy."

"Go right ahead! Do you want me to let you go so you can call her? I would like to get in touch with Ludwig as soon as possible."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll let you know how it goes next time we talk."

"Okay then! See you soon."

"See you later, Feli."

Monika ended the Skype call and leaned back in her chair. Staring up at the ceiling, she exhaled a large amount of air and let her thoughts wash over her as she took in everything that had been said in that conversation. She truly believed that she had made the correct decision in being with Feliciano. That being said, she didn't know where to go from here. Should she act differently around him? Probably not, since he liked her as her normal self. Their relationship would be changing, though. Would she feel differently when she saw him in person? And how would she react to said feelings?

None of that could be answered right away. She would have to wait and see. In the meantime, she decided it would probably be best to inform her best friend of the recent change in relationship status.

The phone only rang twice before Daisy answered.

"_Ciao!"_

"Hey, do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Well," Monika began, "I had a little chat with Feli tonight."

"And?"

"And… I thought you might want to know about it."

"Go on," the Italian pressed.

"He left me a message earlier saying that he had feelings for me, and so I called him back and told him we should talk over Skype. So we did, and we discussed some things, and we decided to give the whole relationship thing a try."

The other end of the phone fell silent. Dead silent. Monika didn't know what to make of that, having expected the exact opposite reaction. She had thought that if her relationship with Feliciano ever did come to this and it came time for her to tell Daisy, said Italian would be bouncing off the walls squealing and fangirling. Perhaps their call had been dropped, and that's why she couldn't hear anything.

"…Daisy?"

"Are you serious?"

Her tone came across as surprisingly calm.

"_Ja. _Are you… you aren't upset, are you? I would have expected—"

"Monika, that's really great! I'm so happy for you. For both of you."

"Really?"

"Yeah! I'm just not shocked, is all."

"Haha, alright then. I managed to get a good reaction out of Julchen, though."

"Oh wow, really? What did she do?"

"She made some joke about Feli being my boyfriend and we just sort of stared at each other until I finally said 'So much for Daisy being the first to know.' And you really were supposed to be, but she decided to burst into the room and announce that our team scored right as we had more or less decided to be together."

"That is quite hilarious," Daisy said, laughing as she played through the scene in her mind and trying to imagine what it must have been like.

"Anyway, that is all I really wanted to say. He's probably going to come for a visit at some point but we're still working out the details."

"That's awesome! I really am happy for you guys. Let me know when anything exciting happens, okay?"

"We'll see—can't guarantee you'll get all the details. So I'll call you again a few days, _ja?_"

"Sure. Talk to you then."

Daisy hung up the phone, and then set it down slowly on the coffee table in front of her. Having thought ahead, she knew that if Monika ever came to her with this news, she didn't want to overreact. Surely it seemed unlike her to be so calm, but she decided that in this case, a mature response would be the best option.

Since they were no longer speaking, however, and because it had actually been quite difficult for her to contain her excitement, she decided to let it all out at once.

"YES! FINALLY!" she exclaimed, springing up from the couch she had been sitting on and jumping up and down. She then proceeded to skip about the living room, flailing her arms around and babbling excitement in a mix of Italian and English. "I can't believe they actually did it! Yay, I'm so happy!"

She continued this behavior until she ran out of breath, even though she recognized how crazy she seemed (especially considering she was in her house alone and spouting nonsense to no one in particular.) After all, it was about damn time.


End file.
